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Father and twin sons charged with €26,000 social welfare fraud

Sat, Jun 9, 2012, 01:00

A 62-year-old Dublin man and his twin sons appeared in court yesterday to face more than 100 dole fraud charges.

Eddie Duff snr, of South Lotts Road, Ringsend, and his 27-year-old sons, Edward and Graham Duff, were remanded on bail after they were charged at Dublin District Court in connection with an alleged social welfare fraud worth about €26,000.

The men face charges of deception and forgery of dockets at Blanchardstown social welfare office and a number of post offices in Dublin and Co Meath, from 2008 to 2011.

Garda Bryan Hunt of Irishtown station told Judge McCarthy that the DPP had directed “summary disposal on a guilty plea only”. This means that their hearing should stay in the jurisdiction of the District Court if they admit the offences; otherwise they should be tried in the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

John Bermingham, solicitor for the three men, told Judge McCarthy that the defence had received details of the prosecution evidence, which he described as “substantial disclosure”. He asked the judge to adjourn the case for a four to six-week period.

Judge McCarthy remanded Mr Duff and his sons on continuing bail to appear again on July 20th. He said the issue of jurisdiction – the venue for their trial – would be decided then. Legal aid was granted to the three men, who have not yet indicated how they will plead to the charges.